This invention relates in general to carpet assemblies for automotive vehicles and in particular to a vehicular carpet assembly having an underlayment and a conduit attached to the underlayment.
Automotive vehicles typically employ elongated flexible members, including electrical wiring, release cables, fluid hoses and the like, to interconnect one vehicle component to another vehicle component. These flexible members are typically installed in the vehicle as separate assemblies. When installed in the vehicle, the flexible members are typically routed in the interior of the vehicle along a side sill or along a floor pan. When the flexible members are routed along either the side sill or the floor pan, the side sill or the floor pan is typically adapted in a manner to properly route and retain the flexible members. Conventional methods of adapting the side sill or the floor pan to accommodate the routing and retention of the flexible members include forming a recessed channel in the side sill or the floor pan and/or attaching a series of retaining clips to side sill or the floor pan. Having installed the flexible members in the vehicle, a covering such as a carpet assembly is installed over the flexible members.
An objective of this invention is to simplify the method of installing an elongated flexible member concealed by a vehicular carpet assembly.
Another objective of this invention is to reduce the cost and labor associated with installing a vehicular carpet assembly and an elongated flexible member concealed by the carpet assembly.
Another objective of this invention is to reduce the number of parts handled by an assembly plant, which performs the installation of a vehicular carpet assembly and an elongated flexible member concealed by the carpet assembly.
Another objective of this invention is to provide protection for an elongated flexible member concealed by a vehicular carpet assembly.
It is also an objective of this invention to provide means of easily removing an elongated flexible member from a vehicle if the flexible member should require repair or replacement.
Additionally, an objective of this invention is to simplify the structure of a side sill and/or floor pan adapted to locate and/or retain an elongated flexible member concealed by a vehicular carpet assembly.
This invention concerns a vehicular carpet assembly that achieves the above objects and other objects not specifically enumerated. The carpet assembly comprises an underlayment or pad attached to a carpet material. A conduit is attached to the underlayment. The conduit is adapted to receive an elongated flexible member of a type including electrical wiring, release cables, fluid hoses and the like.
In one embodiment of this invention, the conduit is integrally formed with the underlayment.
In another embodiment of this invention, the conduit has a channel formed in an attachment face for receiving the flexible member. The attachment face is attached to a bottom face of the underlayment such that the flexible member is captured between the channel wall and the bottom face. The conduit in this embodiment may be attached to the underlayment in either a removable or non-removable manner.
In still another embodiment of this invention, the conduit has a clamshell configuration that can be opened and closed, which allows the flexible member to be easily inserted into and removed from the conduit.
According to another embodiment of this invention a vehicular carpet assembly comprises an elongated flexible member of a type including electrical wiring, release cables, fluid hoses and the like integrally form with an underlayment that is attached to a carpet material.
The above-enumerated objectives and various other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.